The Iowa Rabbit Festival was started in 1986. It began as a way to promote the only rabbit processing plant in the area. The first festival was held in 1987 with a small rabbit show, a parade, and booth to sale crafts. The few bands they hired played from the back of a flatbed trailer. There was a pageant to crown Miss Bunny who then traveled the state to other festivals promoting ours.

The festival has since grown from year to year. The processing plant is long gone, but the festival lives on. An average of 20,000 people attends the festival each year. We have added a carnival, an actual bandstand, and a Petite Lapin pageant for ages 0 – 17 years.

The festival is held the 3rd weekend in March in the Lawrence Toups, Jr. Memorial Park (formerly Iowa City Park). During the festival, attendees can sample a variety of local foods. The Cook-off on the Saturday morning gives people a chance to taste rabbit cooked many ways. There are also many arts and crafts vendors displaying and selling their wares. The main attraction is, of course, the bandstand. We have at least 13 different bands playing a variety local music, including Cajun, Zydeco, and variety bands.

We are currently a Top 20 Event for the Southeastern United States and work closely with our local tourist bureau to promote the festival!